Friday, May 1, 2009

That really ticks me off!

Inspired by Half Fast's post today about "inconsidiots" who interfere with your running, I have a story of a similar incident of irritation from my run yesterday afternoon. At the time I was so pissed that I wanted to stop and do a quick blog post from my phone, but I kept running and by the time I got home I had actually forgotten about it.

So I was running along yesterday afternoon on the sidewalk along Colby Avenue. I was still in my first mile so I certainly hadn't achieved any level of running nirvana. Instead I was achy and possibly a bit irritable. Ahead of me I saw a man walking with two dogs. He had them on rather long leashes so they were wandering about and amongst the three of them, they blocked the entire sidewalk. They were going in the same direction as me, so I would have to pass them to get on with my run.

Now let me say, as a side note, that I really hate passing walkers that are going in the same direction as me. I feel like I have to run faster going past them so that they are not following on my heels. Then there's that whole "watching me from behind as I run past" thing.

But anyhow. I moved onto the grassy parking strip along the sidewalk so I could pass without interfering with their walk or having the dogs nip at my ankles. So just as I'm sort of even with the group the guy—and dogs—starts running! Mind you, he is wearing street clothes, not running clothes.

I'm not about to get into a race with a man and two dogs who are hogging the sidewalk (my sidewalk, I always run this route), so I turned around, went back to the intersection and crossed the busy street, dodging traffic, to run up the other side of the street. There may have been a loud harrumph and some tossing of my head involved.

Is this not the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard? Not only is this guy not yielding to me, the runner, but he is (either deliberately or negligently) interfering with the progress of my run!

Some other things that ticked me off yesterday (and do in general):

Cars that pull up into the crosswalk so that I have to run behind them to cross the street.

Cars that are coming out of a driveway or business (e.g. McDonalds) and pull out so far they block the sidewalk, again forcing me to either run into the street or behind them.

Cars that are only looking for oncoming traffic coming from their left and don't seem to see me approaching from their right.

Any time I have to stop to avoid being potentially hit by a car, or to let a car cross an intersection even though I, a pedestrian in a crosswalk (or wanting to go into the crosswalk), should have the right-of-way.

The woman I saw running yesterday wearing a sleeveless top, short running shorts, and very long hair flowing around her as she ran.

Luckily, running does enhance my seratonin levels and so, despite whatever irritations I might encounter along the way, I am usually over it by the time I get home!

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Runner Girl

I can fly, or I can run

I Am a Runner Girl

But now my task is smoothly done,I can fly, or I can runQuickly to the green earth’s end,. . .And from thence can soar as soonTo the corners of the moon.Mortals that would follow me,Love virtue, she alone is free.John Milton

About Me

Avid antique shopper and garden lover, runner, walker, skier, and yoga & pilates devotee. Frequent traveller to England. Voracious reader of literary fiction, travel memoirs, self-help books, mysteries, garden & decorating books, and a wide variety of magazines (Runner's World, Oprah, Prevention, More, Glamour, as well as stacks of gossip mags while at the Y). I also have a weakness for contemporary Brit-lit (Bridget Jones and sistren) and sweeping English sagas (e.g. Rosamunde Pilcher novels). English major in my former life. I love sweet peas, David Austin English roses, old houses, antique silver, china and glassware, the Cotswolds, chocolate, scones with jam & clotted cream, and Jane Austen novels. When I grow up (or in my next life) I would like to own a tea room and antiques shop, but for now I just visit as many as I can.